


When You Fall In Love, Do You Land On Your Feet?

by savvymavvy



Category: Glee
Genre: Hybrids, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-01-31
Updated: 2014-01-12
Packaged: 2017-11-27 15:30:17
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 19,422
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/663597
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/savvymavvy/pseuds/savvymavvy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Blaine Anderson is an unfortunate human living in a hybrid world. Maneuvering his way through high school is tough enough as it is, but what happens when he falls for someone the world says he can't have? And how does he find a place in a society that won't accept him for who he is?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Oh man. You know that saying it takes a village to raise a baby? I feel like it applies to this fic. The plot idea came from [fancyforafeeling](http://www.fancyforafeeling.tumblr.com)'s tumblr [here](http://fancyforafeeling.tumblr.com/post/36770192367/anonymous-asked-fancyforafeeling). Where the anon essentially wanted a reversed hybrid trope and fuck it ate my brain. So then this happened. I want to thank [Katie](http://www.heavenorspace.tumblr.com) for posting the prompt that ate me, [Axe](http://www.randomactsofdouchebaggery.tumblr.com) for hand holding and killing my fic with the amount of red in grammatical changes it needed and helping make it sound amazing, [Lilinas](http://www.lilinas.tumblr.com) for universe picking and making sure everything flowed well and made sense. 
> 
> And of course, a huge thank you to [Mandeh](http://www.alittledizzy.tumblr.com) who reminded me that I can write, gave me hugs and flailings when I needed them, held my hand and helped write parts of this thing when it just wouldn't even come together for me and let me talk shit out.

Blaine sighs, standing in front of a large brick building. It’s large and intimidating in a way that Dalton never was and it unnerves him. His satchel hits his thigh as someone brushes against him. He turns to step out of their way before he stumbles forward a bit, just as someone else, a racoon hybrid, races to catch up with them and pushes past him, a striped tail smacking Blaine in the face as he goes. The second boy turns to say something, his apology going quiet when he notes Blaine’s utter lack of any other features. Blaine sighs and waits as the boy leans in closer and sniffs before reeling back, realizing that Blaine smells all too human.

As he watches the other boy recoil, disgust evident on his face, Blaine realizes with a depressing certainty that McKinley High is going to be exactly what he’d feared it would. This isn’t going to be Dalton. There’s no guarantee of equal treatment and acceptance. There’s not even a guarantee of safety, not really, and he has the scars to help him remember that lesson.

That doesn’t mean he can’t find a place here, though, he thinks wistfully as he clutches his books against his body. Sure, most people are going to find him an oddity. It happens like that everywhere he goes — ever since he was a small child and Cooper would take him by the hand and people would stop and stare at the familiar look of a male husky hybrid holding the hand of a strange full human. His mother tried to explain all the looks to him when he was a small boy; that he was just extra special and that everyone could tell by one look how special he was. His father didn’t even try to sugarcoat it. He growled and glared, his tail bristling and his ears flattening at Blaine as he said, “Blaine it’s because you’re different from everyone else; that’s why.” Cooper never tries to explain it away, he tries to take the spotlight from Blaine — something that Blaine is thankful for every day.

But Blaine stubbornly believes there are more good hybrids in the world than bad ones. Hybrids who won’t be like the boy who has just walked away, grabbing his friend’s arm and then glancing back at Blaine and snickering. Hybrids who will understand that just because Blaine smells different, and he has no animal instincts, he’s not lesser than they are. He’d met many of them at Dalton, knew so many boys that didn’t parrot the beliefs their parents had but accepted him as a person and as an equal. He knows that his friends at Dalton are not the norm though, he knows that. 

He just has to find them.

*

Blaine makes his way through the crowded school to the office, pushing the door in to see a rather large woman sitting behind the desk, cat’s eye glasses perched on the end of her twitching little nose. Her hair is a riot of colors and curls with large, floppy bunny ears popping out from the mass.

“Can I help you, dearie?” she says, looking over the rim of her glasses to see him better.

“Looking for a print out of my schedule? I just transferred here from Dalton Academy. I’m Blaine... Blaine Anderson.”

“Ah. yes of course, the transfer _human_ ,” she says slowly, blinking at him. He fidgets under her gaze, not sure what the woman is looking for, before she’s turning to her computer and typing rapidly, completely missing the wince on Blaine’s face. 

“Let me pull the files up on you here.” Her fingernails clack on the keys as files open and several windows pop up on the screen. “So it looks like your grades from Dalton are good enough to put you straight into your classes and we can waive the Human Entrance Exams. Congratulations,” she adds with as little enthusiasm as possible. She hits a few more keys and the antique printer behind her whirs to life, spitting out a few pages that she quickly hands over to Blaine before pulling her hands back. 

“Your schedule of classes then. There’s a map on the table there of the school, should help you get around.” She gives him a curt nod dismissing him before turning back to her computer where Blaine can see a game of solitaire has been pulled up. He glances down at his schedule, looking it over and committing it to memory along with his locker number before thanking the woman and leaving.

*

He tries to slip into the classroom without being noticed and fails. The teacher comes to a halt at the front of the classroom, book in hand as she sizes him up. He hands over the note explaining who he is; the teacher reads it over before handing it back.

“It seems we have a new student, class,” she says excitedly, placing her finger in her book to hold her place as she turns toward Blaine. “I’m Ms. Oliveria; welcome to Advanced English. Why don’t you tell us about yourself?”

Blaine blinks and looks out on the room of students, noticing ears and tails twitching and moving as they smell and breathe and sniff and know that he is different from them. “Well, I moved here from Westerville and just started today,” he offers, not knowing what else the teacher may want to know.

Ms. Oliveria sets her book on her desk and digs out her attendance book, making note of Blaine in it. “Any special issues or circumstances I should be aware of?” she asks — a standard question for any class with such a wide variety of species and hybrids.

Blaine flushes as a few people in the class laugh. “No, none at all.”

Ms. Oliveria looks up at him, her eyes doing a quick once-over, and Blaine feels his blush deepening; he watches the teacher’s expression change as the pieces begin to fall into place. Her eyes widen and she hurriedly begins to write notes down in her book. Behind him, he can hears students whispering and laughing, and he doesn’t need hybrid hearing to know that it’s about him. 

“Alright then. Take a seat. We have an open one in the back there by Tina.” Tina raises her hand up slowly, and Blaine moves to slide into the chair right next to her.

She's a lemur hybrid, complete with adorably striped tail and ears. She offers Blaine a smile that makes him feel less like he's being sized up and more like he’s being offered friendship and he begins to relax a little.

“Now class, if you’ll grab your books again please,” Ms. Oliveria begins again, taking her copy of Macbeth and flipping to the right page. “Who can tell me what the characterization of Lady Macbeth as a snake showcases?” she asks, looking around the room for hands.

Blaine hurriedly out a notebook and pen to take notes and cover the fact that he can’t flip through the pages to look anything up because he doesn’t have a book.

“You can share with me if you’d like,” Tina whispers, pushing her book over a bit so that Blaine can pick it up. “Really, its okay. I’ve read it like a hundred times. Practically have it memorized.”

Blaine is momentarily surprised by the offer and bites his lip before taking the book, flipping to where Ms. Oliveria is going over Lady Macbeth’s symbolism. “Thanks,” he says finally, offering Tina another smile, this one bigger and brighter than the one before.

“No problem. Besides, working with you has to be better than listening to her drone on.” Tina giggles behind her hand and Blaine can’t help chuckling along quietly with her. It’s still early, but Blaine thinks he may have just made a friend.

*

Blaine’s day is repetitive; in every class he stands in front of the room, introducing himself to everyone, a task he does not enjoy. Thankfully, after English, no teacher asks him about any unusual circumstances that might crop up, but he figures it's only because they don’t need to; their hybrid senses letting them know how human he is. He can tell how everyone instantly sizes him up and finds him lacking as soon as he walks into a classroom. He can tell by the twitching noses and flicking tails and the way their eyes widen as they all lean in around him.

At least his reception at McKinley hasn’t been bad yet. There have been mumbles and whispers and laughter but nothing physical. He’s had a few people scoot their seats farther away from him when he sits down, but he’s also had a few others look over and give him tentative, and sometimes even encouraging, smiles. And of course, he’s had people who stare at him as if they’re waiting for him to do some sort of trick. Blaine sighs and wants to rub his head; it's nothing he hasn’t dealt with before, but it’s always more difficult with a new group of people. At least at Dalton they had all known he was just human and hadn’t stared at him like he’s a walking zoo exhibit.

He really hopes lunch offers a break from all the staring and questioning and whispers that have followed him the entire day so he can have a moment to relax and breathe. 

He grabs his food out of the herbivore line, preferring salads to steaks, and stands surveying the cafeteria. The tables are all full of students, some in red-and-white lettermen jackets and others in corresponding cheerleader uniforms. Blaine wants to sit by himself, pull out a book, and read; let himself get lost in his own thoughts and pretend that every eye isn’t on him and every little whisper isn’t about the new human freak at McKinley, but there are no empty tables for him to hide at. He turns, about to make his way outside or to the library to eat when he hears his name.

“Blaine! Hey, Blaine, over here!” He looks to his left and finds Tina standing up, rushing over to him with an easy, happy smile on her face again. “Come sit with us,” she says, taking his hand eagerly in hers and tugging him over toward her table. Blaine starts when she grabs his hand, surprised by how easy and freely her touch is given. 

“Ah, are you sure--?” He eyes the table of hybrids cautiously. Tina may not have a problem with him, but he’s concerned about what her friends may think about a human eating with them. 

“Oh yeah, come on. It’s cool.” She tugs again and Blaine relents, the invitation to sit and act like he has friends is too enticing. He follows Tina, sitting beside her at the table. He offers a tiny wave as he sits, smiling awkwardly at the group already there.

“Okay so, Blaine, this is my boyfriend, Mike,” Tina introduces the boy to her left and he waves over to Blaine, an equally friendly smile on his face. “And Mercedes, Rachel and Finn. Guys, this is Blaine.”

“Hello,” Blaine says, giving everyone a small wave, looking to each of them in turn. He stares at the antler rack growing on top of Finn’s head. It’s not too large yet, but it adds height to his already tall figure. 

“Yeah, I get stuck going in doorways with them if I’m not careful,” Finn says, answering Blaine’s look. 

“Oh, oh I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to stare--” Blaine starts, apologizing profusely, not wanting to insult the boy after just meeting him. Finn just shrugs and grabs his sandwich, taking a huge bite out of it before he continues. 

“It’s cool. I get stared at a lot with them already. I’m used to it.” 

“Hey, so, new kid?” Mercedes asks, giving Blaine a sympathetic look. “It’s a tough gig starting in the middle of a semester, but McKinley’s not too bad. The tots are good at least,” she adds, holding one up with a fork before biting into it. Blaine chuckles and his smile grows wider as he realizes that she said new kid not new human or non-hybrid but new kid as if he were just a normal hybrid like them. He releases a small breath and lets his shoulders droop and relax.

Blaine isn’t feeling too talkative, but the others around the table are nice enough not to push too much for information; lunch feels a lot easier and more relaxed than he had expected it to. At least until Rachel starts up.

“So Blaine, do you sing?”

“Ah--”

“I sing, obviously,” she adds, preening, her feathers fluttering behind her. “Not all bird hybrids are gifted with song, of course,” she continues, “but I’m more than just a regular _bird_ hybrid.”

“Oh?” Blaine asks. He looks to the others at the table for help, but Mercedes and Tina both roll their eyes, obviously very familiar with Rachel’s chatter.

“Of course. I am a nightingale after all.” Her feathers flutter again as she sits up straighter in her seat, still preening.

“Can it, bird brain,” Mercedes mutters, rolling her eyes. “You’re dropping feathers everywhere and I don’t want to have to pluck them out of my quills again.” Blaine bites down on his bottom lip to keep himself from breaking into laughter as Rachel harrumphs and her feathers ruffle. He can see her loosening her wings behind her before folding them in against her back.

“So, do you sing?” Tina asks Blaine quietly while Rachel is distracted. “You didn’t answer her.”

“Oh, well, I haven’t in a long time, and I’m sure I’m nowhere as good as Rachel--” It’s a blatant lie and Blaine knows it, but he can’t help himself. He always feels overwhelmed and ordinary in the midst of everyone else with their special hybrid gifts. He can sing and he knows it; he led the Dalton Academy Warblers for years to multiple victories, despite the controversy of having a human on lead vocals. But Dalton had been accepting of his status and inclusive in wanting him to front their group; he still hasn’t figured out what kind of school McKinley is going to be just yet. Until he knows, he wants to keep his cards close to his chest.

Tina waves a hand at Blaine and shakes her head. “Don’t believe everything Rachel tells you. She may be a songbird but she’s not the only creature that can sing.” Tina shoots Rachel a glare. “We’re all in our school’s glee club; you should join. Even if you can’t sing it’d be fun! Besides, we kinda need a few extra members for sectionals coming up in a few weeks, so if you joined that’d be so awesome.”

Sectionals. Blaine remembers what the Warblers were discussing doing, remembers sitting in the meetings and voicing his opinion on what songs they should sing and what color ties to wear. McKinley isn’t Dalton and he’s sure this glee club isn’t the Warblers, but it might be a good place to start trying to find friends and fitting in.

“Yeah, that could be fun,” Blaine agrees, nodding to Tina. She breaks into a huge grin and bounces in her seat, her tail flicking back and forth happily.

“Oh, that’s amazing! Okay well, we meet in the choir room after school, usually by 3:30 okay? The choir room is down at the end of the main hall and you take a left, can’t miss it.” The bell rings, signaling the end of lunch and effectively ending their conversation. Tina jumps up and pulls Blaine into an unexpected hug, throwing him off balance, before letting him go and grabbing Mike’s hand. “Alright, see you later, Blaine!” she shouts, tugging her boyfriend off to their next class.

*

The rest of the day passes easily; only one teacher requires him to stand up in front of everyone and introduce himself — his AP statistics class and really, Blaine is hoping that doesn’t set the standard for how the rest of that class is going to go — so he’s feeling pretty good by the time the end of the school day rolls around. Feeling so good, in fact, he takes Tina up on her offer and heads down the long main hall toward the choir room. Pushing the door open, he smiles when he hears Tina’s chatter break off into an excited squeal. She rushes him, all happy smiles and excited noises, her tail jerking and moving in excitement as she grabs his arm and practically pulls him toward where she was talking with Mercedes.

“Oh, I’m so happy you’re here, Blaine!” She bounces on the spot, her arm still linked with his.

“You’d think I did more than just show up to a glee practice with how excited you are,” he says, teasing her fondly.

“No really, you don’t understand. Anyone new that can cut down on the number of people we have to steal from the band to make competition numbers is amazing. And if you can sing, that’s even better. Means less solos for Rachel.”

“What means less solos for Rachel?” Rachel asks, coming into the room, and the conversation, at the tail end of Tina’s comment. Her wings are loose and her feathers puffed up, as if she is trying to make herself look bigger than her small stature allows.

“Ignore her,” Tina insists, pulling Blaine away and with her as she goes to sit right next to Mike. “The rest of us try to.” Rachel grouses and crosses her arms over her chest, her wings still fluttering agitatedly as she perches herself on a nearby stool, turning to face away from Tina and Mike. Blaine is thankful for Tina’s enthusiasm. It makes it easier for him to sit back in his seat and feel, not like he belongs necessarily, but at least more at ease. The Warbler commons was his favorite place at Dalton; it was where he felt most relaxed and most at home, and he hopes the McKinley choir room might become that sort of place for him.

He relaxes slowly next to Tina, her warmth and chatter a welcome background buzz as he watches the rest of the students come in. A dark-haired girl in a cheerleading uniform slinks in alongside a bright and bubbly blonde in a matching ensemble, their pinkies linked together as they move. The blonde’s ears flick around, catching every bit of noise, but her facial expression never changes. The darker haired girl’s tail is curled almost possessively around her waist in a way that Blaine finds interesting, and a bit endearing. A few more guys enter, many in matching letterman jackets and another blonde in another cheerleading uniform with soft white wings folded delicately against her back, before the teacher enters, a packet of papers in hand.

“Class! Quiet down, I have in my hands our music for sectionals!” he says, waving the sheets around above his head. “I really think this year we’re going to need to step up the intensity and so I’ve picked some songs, uh--” the teacher goes quiet as he finally spots Blaine. “Oh, it seems we have a new person in our midst. Sorry, and who are you?”

“Blaine Anderson, recent transfer from Dalton Academy.” The teacher stares at him a bit longer, cocking his head to the side as he takes a step forward. 

“Are you a _full_ human?” 

Blaine blushes immediately, his eyes falling to the ground. “Uh, yeah I am. Is that a problem?” No one today has been so open in their questioning his humanity and he’d been grateful, knowing it was only a matter of time. In front of the other hybrids, some of whom he’s hoping to become friends with, Blaine finds this scrutiny humiliating.

The teacher shakes his head, oblivious to how uncomfortable he’s making Blaine feel. “Nope, not a problem at all. We here in glee club like to make a point of being open to everyone.” Blaine shifts slightly in his seat as the teacher offers him a wide, toothy smile before moving on. Anyways, I’m Mr. Schue and I coach the glee club here at McKinley. So, if you were at Dalton, that would make you a Warbler then?”

“Yes, actually,” Blaine answers, a bit surprised that Mr. Schue seems to know his old group.

“Well, its great to have you, Blaine. Welcome to the New Directions.” Blaine looks around a bit confused.

“Don’t I need to sing first?” he asks, a bit unsure. He’d had to sing for the Warblers to get in, and they had known about his singing talent beforehand.

“Yes, exactly!” Rachel pipes up. “We’re so close to sectionals and can’t just take anyone at this late date without knowing how well they sing and how their voice blends with mine!”

“Rachel,” Mr. Schue starts, pushing a hand back through his hair. “We’ve always said that New Directions was an all-inclusive club and that whoever wanted to join could join--”

“But sectionals--!”

“I really have no problem auditioning if necessary--”

“See, he wants to audition--”

“Rachel, I am the teacher here--” Mr. Schue starts to reply back before he’s interrupted by the choir room door banging open.

“My apologies Mr. Schue, I was kept late by my french teacher.” A tall, lanky male-cat hybrid starts to explain before he trails off, inhaling deeply as his eyes go wide.


	2. Chapter 2

The boy goes quiet as Mr. Schue talks to him and the class, his nostrils flaring slightly as he breathes in deeply again. He looks quickly over the room before his eyes settle on Blaine and he reels back as if hit by an invisible force. His ears swivel to Blaine and his tail flicks back and forth restlessly, his body tense as if waiting to pounce.

Blaine shifts in his seat, feeling on display as the boy in front of him keeps staring straight at him. He tugs at the collar of his shirt, wishing it was slightly looser so he could breathe a bit easier.

The boy is tall with meticulously crafted hair in an artful upsweep in varying shades of brown and gold that match his perky cat ears. His clothing is impeccable and impressive — Blaine’s fairly sure he saw that exact silk vest in last month’s Vogue — with an added flair for eccentricity and originality. As a human, Blaine takes great pains in how he presents himself to the world; every bit of him, from the clothing he wears to how he styles his hair and which accesories he uses, is purposefully chosen to craft a particular image that he wants to convey to the world. He takes pride in how he looks, always wanting to be at his best. Few of his peers feel similarly, he knows, but as he looks the boy over — from the high gloss of his black ankle boots to the jaunty angle of his scissor brooch — Blaine feels like he might have found a fellow comrade in fashion.

He offers the boy a shy, hopeful smile, his fingers itching to reach up and straighten the boy’s bowtie, to draw attention to it or to the cut of his velvet blazer as if to say, “I’m like you; we’re similar like this. Can’t we be friends?”

The boy must seem to get what Blaine isn’t saying. He offers back a small smile, his eyes dropping to the ground quickly, breaking his gaze away from Blaine. That’s fine, Blaine doesn’t care. He may not have said a word to the boy standing in front of the room, but he can’t help but sit up straighter, taller in his seat and preen.

“Well, glad you could make it Kurt. If you’d take a seat?” Mr. Schue asks, missing the looks _Kurt_ is sending to Blaine.

Blaine watches Kurt makes his way over to Mercedes and sit down on the other side of the choir room as Mr. Schue starts right back up on sectionals. He has a number of songs in mind and he plans to take the next week to whittle the choices down to the best three for them to perform. Blaine can hear him talking, but he isn’t able to focus because he knows Kurt keeps looking back over at him, his tail flicking back and forth as he sits there.

Blaine isn’t sure why Kurt is looking, but he’s hoping it’s for more than simple curiosity, more than just the fact that he’s never seen a human before and doesn’t know what to think. Blaine hopes it’s because he wants to look over at him; Blaine can’t keep from sneaking glances over at Kurt either just to be able to see his elegant profile and the lazy swing of his tail.

Tina keeps shooting Blaine glances as he squirms in his seat, sitting up higher and moving to see Kurt better when someone else shifts. 

“What are you doing?” she leans over to whisper. 

“Just feeling a bit antsy I guess.” He shoots her a sheepish grin and slumps back in his seat, trying not to be so obvious with his ogling. When Mr. Schue finally calls an end to the meeting, Kurt stands and turns, shooting another look back at him, nostrils flaring once more and tail moving before he turns and leaves. Blaine shivers in his seat, feeling Kurt’s look run through him.

He declines Tina’s invitations for coffee after school; it’s been a very long first day for him and he wants to go home and let himself fully relax by himself. He secures his satchel across his body, stuffing the sheets of music into his bag as he grabs for his keys. His car is old, a secondhand gift from his uncle, but it runs well and it enables Blaine to at least drive to and from school, so he’s not complaining. He slides into the driver’s seat and starts the engine before he allows himself to sag back and breathe. The day has been long and tiring enough; he gives himself a pass, allowing the momentary lapse of control, as he pulls out of the school parking lot and heads home.

It’s quiet and empty when he gets back to his house, like it usually is with his parents at work or the occasional charity fundraiser. He slips through the kitchen and into his bedroom, grabbing an apple along the way before he barricades himself inside his sanctuary. With the click of the door, Blaine’s shoulders slump and he leans back against the wall behind him, letting it hold him up. First day of school done, completed, and it wasn’t too bad. Truth be told, he had expected it to go far worse than it did.

Biting down on his apple, holding it with his teeth as he tugs out his bowtie and replaces it in his drawer before hanging up his cardigan, toeing off his shoes and finally flopping down onto the bed. He closes his eyes, letting his entire body rest for a minute and immediately he can see Kurt in his mind. He can see the strong, proud stance and the predatory way he looked over at Blaine, his ears flattened and his tail flicking back and forth and the way he raked his eyes over him... 

Blaine groans softly and shifts on the bed, the familiar feeling of arousal and attraction settling low in his belly. He’s always had a thing for catboys, finding their soft, furry ears and sleek tails attractive. He likes how aloof they seem until you get to know them; how when they want to talk to you it makes you feel different, special, and that it’s something they wouldn’t do with just anyone. 

He loves the sound of purring and wants to feel their soft vibrations pressed against his body; wants to stretch a catboy out in his bed and pet him and touch him until he’s able to pull those noises out of him, hear him tell Blaine that he’s done such a good job. 

And Kurt... Kurt is so gorgeous — with his up-swept hair and close-fitting, trendy clothes and how he holds and carries himself — Blaine was certain to find him attractive. 

But he can’t let him fantasize about any of that. It’s not something he’s ever going to have and thinking about the wasted potential is just depressing when faced with the realities. Blaine sits up and shakes his head as if to clear the images running through his mind. He’s pretty familiar with the looks and curiosity from others by now. Even the intense looks Kurt had been giving him earlier were likely just the intrigue of actually having a full human in their club, it wasn’t actually any interest in _him_. _Blaine_ wasn’t very interesting on his own. Blaine’s been pretty lucky so far at school to not get people pushing and shoving at him like he’s a freak, but part of him fears it’s really only a matter of time. And he doesn’t want to ruin the possibility that Kurt’s looks might lead to friendship thanks to his eagerness over a fantasy that can’t happen. 

He shifts on his bed as his phone goes off in his back pocket, vibrating against him. Warbler practice will be starting up soon.

Blaine feels an aching pain shoot through his chest as he thinks about the Warblers — about stepping in time with them and their voices all harmonizing just right to get a song perfect. It aches, and today has been difficult enough as it is. Without thinking, Blaine stands, grabbing his keys and hurrying back down the stairs to his car. He may not still be a student at Dalton, but that doesn’t mean he can’t sit in on Warbler practice. Once a Warbler, always a Warbler, after all.

*

It’s getting close to four by the time Blaine steps back into Dalton’s hallowed halls and makes his way towards the choir room. He can already hear voices rising and falling as Wes puts them through their scales. It feels almost as if it were just yesterday that he was here, and if Blaine closes his eyes, he can pick out which voice belongs to each person. He sighs to himself before pushing the large oak doors open, interrupting practice and slipping inside.

The Warblers finish off a move, all spinning in sync before their harmonies die out. Wes’ eyes move over to Blaine where he gives him a severe frown. 

“What is the rule on interruptions and audiences for Warbler practices, council?” He asks, raising an eyebrow at the other boys before finally looking over at Blaine. Blaine gulps, thinking maybe he should have thought this through a bit better, before Wes finally breaks and runs over, grabbing Blaine into a full body hug. Thad and David are quick to rush over, pulling Blaine into hugs as well until Blaine can’t differentiate the hands and bodies and tails from one another. 

He laughs as he pulls back from everyone, smiling at them. “Wow, uh guys, thanks.” He really means it, after the rough day he’d had at public school, this sort of welcome back into the fold — to the simple camaraderie of these guys he considers brothers — feels amazing. 

“Good to see you Blaine, even out of uniform,” Jeff says as he tugs on Blaine’s white cardigan, giving Blaine a teasing grin.

“You’re not coming back are you Blaine?” Thad asks, his eyes wide as he pushes through the throng of boys to get closer to Blaine. “We need your voice to take sectionals this year.” 

Blaine feels a pang in his stomach because he so wants to say yes, yes I’m back, but he can’t. His dad wants him in public school where he won’t be coddled and babied and treated with kid gloves like he was here at Dalton. Out in public school, where it’s like the real world, Blaine, and you can get used to how things are out there, and not have you stuck inside your gilded cage at Dalton.

“No, I– No, I’m not coming back, Thad.” There is a collective groan as if they were all hoping for that. Blaine offers them a sad, resigned smile as they begin to disperse, giving Blaine a bit more breathing room. 

“Well, if it isn’t the prodigal son, returned home again.” The crowd of boys part and Blaine notices someone he doesn’t recognize leaning back against the council table and eyeing him up slowly. Blaine looks over at the other boy, his own spine stiffening at the way his eyes rake up and down Blaine’s body. He shivers under the boy’s intense gaze, which serves to make the boy smile wider. 

He’s tall and lanky — long legs for days — as he leans back against the hard, wooden table and takes his time, Blaine squirming the longer he stands there. He has an elegantly pointed nose, soft red furry ears sticking up out of his meticulously styled hair and a full, lush red tail tipped in white curled around his body, flicking ever so slightly. 

Blaine gulps and tries to force himself to relax as the other boy saunters over, his tail moving back and forth lazily with his hips as he gets closer to Blaine. “So you’re Blaine Anderson,” he says slowly, his lips curling up into a self-satisfied smile. 

“Yeah, I am. I don’t think I’ve met you–”

“You haven’t,” he cuts off, his smile widening as he gives Blaine a wink. “I would have remembered you. I’m Sebastian Smythe. I just transferred here from Connecticut.” He holds out his hand and manners dictate that Blaine shake it. He slips his hand into Sebastian’s and the boy’s grip is firm and strong as he pulls Blaine in a bit closer so they can speak more quietly. 

“Well, nice to meet you Sebastian,” Blaine says, a smile slowly spreading across his face a bit shyly. He’s not used to this sort of attention from another hybrid; the other boys at Dalton were all accepting of him but none of them made him feel wanted or desired in any way — not that Blaine blames them for it. Sebastian is coming on strong and it makes Blaine’s stomach swoop and feel funny but it’s also something he’s fairly certain he doesn’t dislike. 

“And it’s very nice to meet you.” Sebastian steps in even closer to Blaine, their bodies almost brushing together they’re so close. He bends over enough so that his mouth is right above Blaine’s ear before whispering, “You want to get out of here? Maybe grab a cup of coffee with me?” 

Blaine steps back, shocked. His cheeks flush and he has to look away briefly before glancing back at Sebastian and nodding. “Yeah, yeah that’d be nice.”

*

“I can’t believe you asked the barista for a shot of courvoisier in your latte,” Blaine laughs. He bounces on the balls of his feet as he heads to a nearby table and slips into a chair. 

“Well, when I was in Paris I drank it all the time,” Sebastian brags, his ears flicking forward and his tail sweeping back and forth behind him as he grins over at Blaine. Blaine’s cheeks flush again and he quickly takes a sip of his coffee, averting Sebastian’s gaze. 

“So, I’ve never met a full human before.” Sebastian leans back in his chair, legs crossed. “You’re quite a delicacy.” 

“I, uh, I don’t think many would agree with you there,” Blaine mumbles. He isn’t used to this sort of attention, not from hybrids, and certainly not from other boys. He isn’t sure how to respond to Sebastian’s overt attention. 

“Maybe that’s because not enough people see your true potential.” Sebastian smirks at him again, and Blaine opens his mouth to reply but only manages a squeak as he feels Sebastian’s tail begin to trail up his leg. He feels the pit drop out of his stomach and not in a pleasant way. Blaine’s known his whole life how inferior full humans are to hybrids, how they aren’t as fully developed or advanced as their counterparts and so are not seen as equals. He’s heard hushed words between his parents, read articles in newspapers and seen things on the news about what a full human’s role really is in this society — and he’s only beginning to realize what most full humans are really used for by hybrids. He begins to feel a bit sick that this is what Sebastian might be trying to get at with him. For as much as Blaine wants to be attractive to somebody, to have some other boy — full human or hybrid — look at him like they want him, Blaine doesn’t feel comfortable with being a Pet. He’s heard the way his parents say that word, hissed back and forth amidst conversations he knows that he’s not supposed to overhear. His mother worried that it’s all he’ll be able to do in life and both of them discussing a way to “deal with it,” to find him an acceptable Owner that can “take care of him.” The idea makes Blaine feel ill.

“Ah, I think I’m running late. My parents and I have this thing... and I didn’t check the time, and I need to go,” Blaine mumbles, standing up so quickly from the table that he knocks over his chair in his haste to leave. 

“Whoa, whoa, whoa,” Sebastian calls out. He moves faster than Blaine, his fox instincts giving him the ability to quickly dart out and catch Blaine by the arm to stop him. “What’s the rush? We were just having a chat, a cup of coffee, a good time...” Sebastian says hopefully. 

“Yeah I– you know, a thing and...” 

Sebastian’s smile doesn’t dim, but he releases his hold on Blaine’s arm. “Yeah, that’s fine.” He reaches up, the picture of gentlemanly propriety in his Dalton blazer, as he helps smooth Blaine’s cardigan out. “Hey, can I get your number? Maybe … we could meet up again? For coffee?” 

Blaine hesitates, still not sure how he feels about Sebastian... but then Sebastian gives him that smile again and Blaine is reminded of how few friends he has at McKinley — and it was nice to feel that this boy wanted him. 

“Yeah, I think... I’d like that.” 

“Great.” Sebastian takes Blaine’s phone from him and inputs his number before sending himself a text so he has Blaine’s as well. “Thanks. I guess I’ll be seeing you?” He hands Blaine back his phone, keeping eye contact with him. 

“Yeah, see you,” Blaine agrees, his voice going a bit weaker as he stuffs the phone into the pocket of his satchel. Sebastian gives him another devastating smile as he leans in and walks past Blaine, his body firmly and quite obviously rubbing up against Blaine’s as his fluffy tail curls around and brushes lightly against Blaine’s cheek before he leaves.


	3. Chapter 3

Blaine arrives early the next day to his biology class, handing his note over to the teacher with a stiff smile as the bell rings and kids begin to shuffle into the classroom. The teacher quickly reads over the note, tossing it onto his desk before looking over at Blaine excitedly. 

“Any complications or issues involved that need to be noted?” The teacher asks, a note of excitement and what sounds like hope in his voice as his pen stays poised over the paper. Blaine can feel the room around him going silent as they listen and watch. 

He clears his throat, eyes lowering slightly as he shakes his head. “No issues at all sir,” he answers, watching as the teacher writes a note down in his grade book. 

“Alright, alright. Splendid, splendid... absolutely marvelous.” He claps his hands together and looks happily at him, giving Blaine a slightly uneasy feeling, though not from disgust. Blaine can see the teacher’s tail wagging behind him, the long fur brushing against the chalkboard and sending up a small dust cloud. “There is an open spot right over there by Mr. Hummel, if you’d like to take a seat?” 

Blaine nods and hitches his satchel up higher on his shoulder as he makes his way through the lab tables to slide onto a stool. His grip on his bag is tight and Blaine can feel the flutter of nerves hitting hard in his stomach because, god, this is _the_ boy, the one from glee yesterday, and Blaine realizes that he looks way better up close than he did from across the choir room. 

He feels nervous and tries to glance over at Kurt surreptitiously only to find Kurt looking quite plainly back at him. He gulps and shifts on his stool, remembering the confusing look Kurt gave him the day before. Suddenly he wonders if maybe Kurt _does_ have an issue with full humans, if perhaps he’s speciest and can’t stand the fact that Blaine is sitting right next to him, and it doesn’t matter how adorable his little furred ears are peeking up out of his expertly coiffed hair or how good he smells or how amazing he looks today or how Blaine loves the flick and twirl of his sleek tail behind him because Kurt _is_ speciest and will never, ever like Blaine. 

“Hi, you’re Blaine, right? You were in glee yesterday.” It takes Blaine a moment to realize that Kurt is actually talking to him. And not just talking, he has scooted his stool over a bit closer and is attempting to carry on a conversation with him even though class is underway. 

Blaine sneaks a quick look at the teacher, making sure his back is turned and his attention focused on what he’s saying before he leans in a bit closer. “Yeah, Blaine Anderson, I transferred here from Dalton Academy. Tina convinced me to go to glee yesterday afternoon.” 

Kurt nods slowly, writing something down on his open notebook before leaning back in closer to Blaine. “Well, good. You planning on joining us then?” Kurt looks up at him, smirking slightly and Blaine can see his tail flicking back and forth behind him. 

“I, ah–” 

“You should,” Kurt continues, writing down something else that is mentioned. “Can you sing?” 

Blaine pauses before actually answering, “you ask me that _after_ telling me to join which worries me about the state of this club.” Blaine’s trying so very hard to keep from smiling; to keep a straight, if somewhat worried, face. 

“Pft, we are flawless. Or rather I am. I am flawless, and so because I am a part of their singing group, they are flawless.” Kurt sniffs in a way that seems almost regal, sitting up straight in his stool, but Blaine can see the corners of his mouth turning up as he also fights to keep from grinning. 

“Well. Can’t get more of a ringing endorsement than that.” 

“So, you’re gonna join?” 

Blaine pauses a second, the teacher’s voice interrupting them as he begins diagramming the stages of mitosis on the board before Blaine turns back around slightly to Kurt to reply. “Yeah,” Blaine answers slowly, smiling over at Kurt. “I think it could be fun.” His gaze flickers from Kurt’s eyes to his lips and his own smile grows wider at seeing Kurt beginning to smile back.

Kurt leans in closer to Blaine to say something else but pauses. Blaine hears a quiet sniff, and he can’t help from shifting in his seat. He knows that hybrids usually have a better sense of smell than full humans and that a cat hybrid would have great olfactory senses, but he showered this morning, he shouldn’t smell bad at all. It occurs to him that maybe Kurt just wants to smell _him_ , which is a pleasant thought that ripples through his body and settles into the pit of his stomach in a way he’s not dealt with before. 

But Kurt pulls back, looking Blaine up and down slowly with slightly narrowed eyes as if slowly judging something about him. His tail is flicking back and forth faster and faster, making Kurt look agitated. 

“Uh, is anything... wrong?” Blaine asks, shifting in his seat again. 

Kurt scoots his chair over even closer, pretending to look at Blaine’s book while the teacher allows them to begin their lab work. “Oh, no I’m fine.” He grins and leans over, pressing his side to Blaine as he picks up a pencil, holding it and twirling it in his fingers. “Mind if I borrow this?” 

“Uh, no, of course not! Go ahead.” 

Kurt’s answering smile is huge and bright as his arm retreats, dragging across Blaine’s arm as he goes, sending little thrills all up and down Blaine’s body from where they are touching. It leaves him feeling edgy and excited all morning.

*

Later at lunch, Blaine grabs his food from the herbivore line again before making his way over to the glee table. He spots Kurt and begins to blush when Kurt waves to him and indicates the free seat next to him that he’s surprisingly saved for Blaine. 

“Thanks.” Blaine sets his tray down and slides in. The table is small and there are a lot of people sitting already, so Blaine sits close to Kurt, their shoulders brushing together from time to time. 

“You ready for your glee audition tomorrow?” Kurt asks as he sets his lunch-pack down on the table. 

“Uh, yeah. I think I have an idea of what song I’m going to sing.” Blaine pops a carrot into his mouth as he watches Kurt unzip his pack and begin to pull out multiple small containers, all still cool. 

“So, you bring your own lunch?” Blaine takes a quick look around the table and notes that Kurt is the only one at their table to bring his lunch from home and a quick survey of the lunchroom shows he’s one of only a couple others that do. 

“Of course,” Kurt sniffs, looking at Blaine’s lunch a bit disdainfully. “Have you _seen_ them try to prepare a tuna? It’s atrocious. I could do better when I was a kitten.” Blaine stifles a laugh, though he can’t blame Kurt, he’s stuck to the herbivore line for a reason: it’s hard to really ruin a salad.

“Alright, so what did you bring then?” he peers over Kurt’s arm to watch as he undoes the top to a rubber container. 

“Bouillabaisse!” Kurt says excitedly, his tail thrashing happily as he grabs at his spoon and begins to stir the soup. 

“Ugh, Kurt did you bring that fish head soup again?” Rachel glares at Kurt and shifts as far away from him as she can, ruffling her feathers and holding her nose up high as if the smell offends her. 

“I didn’t put any fish heads in the soup… this time,” Kurt mutters, glaring right back at her, his tail slowing down and lowering until it’s almost brushing the ground.

“The French consider it quite a delicacy I hear; certainly an artform if you can make it right,” Blaine adds helpfully, giving Kurt an encouraging smile. Kurt smiles back, his tail swinging back and forth happily once more as he digs into his lunch. 

“I brought some extra French bread, would you like a piece? I baked it last night so it’s not fresh, but I’m sure its better than that stale roll.” Kurt unwraps the foil on a small loaf of French bread and offers it to Blaine shyly. 

“Oh! Actually, yes, I would love a piece. It does smell so much better than this, I think it might be closer to hard tack than anything edible.” 

Smiling, Kurt tears off a hunk for himself and adds a bit of spread to it. “Rouille?” he asks Blaine, holding the small container of it out for him as well. 

“Well, when you make lunch you go all out,” Blaine huffs, taking a bit of the spread and adding it to his bread. 

“One should never suffer bad food,” Kurt admonishes as he polishes off his bread. His tongue flicks out, curling around a finger as he licks it clean, Blaine’s eyes zero in on it, before he picks up his soup spoon again. 

“So, bouillabaisse, that’s an interesting choice to make...” Blaine trails off, hoping Kurt picks up the hint and takes it for the lead-in it is. Luckily for him, Kurt loves talking about his passions and Blaine has picked up on one of them. 

“Well, I like to cook,” he begins. “And my dad got me a new book on French cooking a couple months ago; it’s been one of the recipes I’ve been _dying_ to try out. Of course, it takes a lot of time and patience to get it right, and of course you have to use the right kinds of fish, you can’t use any old thing or it won’t get that distinct flavor.” 

“Mmhm,” Blaine agrees. He has no idea what Kurt is talking about, but he really likes the way Kurt’s face lights up and his ears twitch when he talks about something he likes.

“So I had to scour the marketplaces here for the right stuff. You can’t just go to the grocery store, you know? My dad suggested that, but the last time I did they tried to sell me a tilapia when I had asked for a yellowfin tuna, and I knew I was going to have to drive into Columbus for a proper fish monger and get what I needed... so I had to wait for the weekend.”

“Makes sense,” Blaine comments so Kurt knows he’s keeping up. His eyes keep zeroing in on Kurt’s mouth, watching the way his lips move as he talks and the brief flashes of his tongue as he flicks it out to lick his lips. He tries to keep it secret, make sure that no one notices his staring, and he’s pretty sure he’s gotten away with it as everyone else seems to be absorbed in their own conversations.

“So, your glee audition song,” Kurt says, steering the conversation off of fish and back onto Blaine. “You said you know what song you’re going to sing?” 

“Yeah, I mean, I think so? It’s one I’ve done before, though usually with quite a bit of acapella back up. So singing it with musical arrangement will certainly be different.” 

“Don’t worry about it. I’m sure you’ll do fine. I’m looking forward to it,” Kurt adds, smiling shyly as he looks up at Blaine from underneath his lashes before gently nudging his shoulder into Blaine’s. Blaine flushes, feeling a bit stunned, but he gently nudges Kurt’s shoulder back. He wonders if this is what it feels like, flirting with a cute boy that he likes. He can feel the back of his neck grow hot and he’s sure his cheeks are turning a bit red, but he doesn’t care and so nudges Kurt’s shoulder again. He’s a bit hesitant to be flirting with a hybrid like this in public but Kurt makes it easy and makes him feel so relaxed he almost forgets himself.

“Because that’s not going to make me nervous at all.” Blaine sighs and rolls his eyes, his shoulder is still pressed up against Kurt’s, neither one of them having separated. 

“Don’t be,” Kurt insists. His voice drops and he leans in, catching Blaine’s gaze. “Like I said, I’m sure you’ll do great.” He brushes his fingers across the back of Blaine’s hand and the touch is electric, sending a jolt through Blaine’s body. He licks his lips and looks right at Kurt, opening his mouth to respond when the bell ending lunch goes off, startling him. He jumps back, realizing how close he and Kurt were, putting a bit more distance between them as he looks around wildly. No one seems to take notice of them as they pack up their own bags to head off to class and Blaine exhales softly. 

“Thank you,” he says to Kurt, reaching out to brush his fingers back over Kurt’s, a shy smile tugging now on the edge of his lips. 

“You’re welcome, Blaine.” Kurt smiles back as he grabs his lunch bag and his satchel and swings them over his shoulder. “I’ll see you later,” he adds, pausing as he brushes past Blaine, his tail briefly curling against Blaine’s shoulder. 

*

Blaine swings by the Lima Bean on his way home after school; he has an urge for an almond biscotti and he’s definitely going to need a medium drip to go with it. He hikes his satchel up higher on his shoulder as he stands in line and waits before placing his order with the barista. He looks around the coffee bar, scoping out a place to sit and relax when he spots Kurt in the corner by the window. His hair is still in its perfect up-swoop, not a strand out of place; his clothing still looks perfectly pressed just like it had at lunch, and Blaine can’t help the way it makes his insides dip and swoop. 

He watches Kurt as he remains oblivious to Blaine’s presence, his focus completely on the drawing he is working on as he swipes a pencil over and over in long sweeping strokes. 

“Medium drip? That’s you, right?” The barista breaks his concentration and he starts, feeling embarrassed for being caught openly staring at Kurt. 

“Right, right, that’s me,” he agrees, reaching over for the drink. The barista hands it over slowly, blinking owlishly at him before giving Blaine a small, tentative smile. 

“Cool.” The guy’s smile stays strong, and he nods at Blaine like it’s no big thing. One again, Blaine is reminded of why he likes this place so much; it’s a small oasis of progressive big city-like thought in such a backwards small-minded town and he feels at _home_ here. He never feels awkward or gawked at and they even have a special Human menu with a variety of omnivore choices. He orders from it whenever he’s hungry for more than a cookie.

Being in the Lima Bean gives him courage; he steels his nerves and makes his way through the tables toward the back of the coffee shop by the window. “Hey Kurt,” he says shyly, offering him a hopeful smile. “I didn’t want to interrupt but–” 

“Blaine, hey!” Kurt bounces in his seat and immediately pushes out the chair next to him. “No, no, please, sit down.” 

Blaine’s grin grows as he takes advantage of the pushed out chair, pulling it back further before sitting himself down in it. He feels invincible. Looking across the table at the gorgeous catboy sitting there, Blaine can’t help dropping his head and smiling slightly as he keeps stealing glances at him. Kurt is just so exquisite. It almost makes Blaine feel inadequate sitting next to him, all sleek lines and soft fur, his slinky tail flicking proudly behind him. 

The door to the Lima Bean opens, the bell around the handle jangling and snapping Blaine out of his daydream. Two men enter quickly, already in the midst of conversation. 

“The proposition is never going to work. It’s not like it’s something we need to actually be _concerned_ about.” 

“You never know. I hear the Democrats are working up some sort of bargain with the Independents, trying to get this thing pushed through Congress and signed as quickly as possible.” 

Blaine blinks and turns in his chair, his attention now drawn away from Kurt to what the men are saying. They join the back of the queue, talking as they wait to place their order.

“Pft, it’s just a rumour, and even if it is true, so what? It’s not like anyone is really going to back a bill that allows _Humans_ to marry Hybrids. No one wants those sort of interspecies relations going on. It’s immoral and everyone _knows_ it. It’s just another thing in a long line that we’re going to worry about and find it doesn’t even matter.” 

Blaine quickly turns away from the men, his face red hot with embarrassment. He knows the others around him can hear them; knows _Kurt_ can hear them, and he knows they are all sneaking glances and staring at him because he’s Human and he’s here with Kurt. He can’t stay here, sitting across from this boy that, god, he thinks is so gorgeous, and feel Kurt’s pity, or worse, his agreement, with them. 

“I gotta go–” he says, but Kurt’s reflexes are lightning fast and he has a hand on Blaine’s wrist, fingers curled around it and holding him there. 

“Don’t go,” Kurt says softly. “Not because of them. Stay. With me.” 

Blaine flicks his tongue out over his lips and there is nothing he can say to that. He obediently sits back down across from Kurt, his shoulders hunched as he slides down in his seat while the two businessmen walk past, still deep in conversation, oblivious to the serene and friendly atmosphere they had shattered. 

Blaine feels like he’s on display, but Kurt’s fingers are still around his wrist and so he stays seated. 

“I’m sorry–” Kurt begins.

“It’s not your fault, I’m okay–” Blaine starts to apologize automatically, but a loud click of the tongue from Kurt and a harsh glare shuts him up. 

“As I was saying, I’m sorry to see that people are still so rudely uninformed.” 

“Yeah?” Blaine is hopeful, looking at Kurt as he briefly licks his lips. 

“And we seem to live in a den of uninformed opinions.” Blaine sags back in his seat as Kurt releases his wrist, sensing that he’s not about to take flight just yet. “And really, they are idiots. Telling people who they can and can’t mate with. It’s as bad as when they said two _men_ couldn’t mate or two women just because they were the same gender. It’s... It’s hateful and I hope that bill passes and they have to live with watching thousands of Humans be happy.” 

“You follow the bill...?” Blaine asks quietly. He doesn’t want to be too hopeful, even his friends at Dalton, as open and accepting as they were, weren’t too up-to-date on Human Rights bills. 

“Of course,” Kurt replies, his own voice quiet to match Blaine’s. “No one should be kept from mating with someone they love. And no one, regardless of how their DNA is written, should be kept as a Pet. That’s... It’s unhybrid.” 

“I think that’s the point,” Blaine points out. 

“You know what I mean. It’s not fair, and it should be outlawed immediately.” Blaine glances up to Kurt and can’t believe what he’s hearing as Kurt continues. “Who you mate with should be a serious issue. It’s not a simple thing, you know? You’re _mating_ with someone. Wanting to be with just them, and that is deeply personal for all involved but it is _not_ legal.” 

Blaine sits, still stunned by what he’s heard Kurt say. 

“Sorry, I get a little fervent sometimes.” Kurt flushes and looks embarrassed, like he’s said too much or gone too far.

“No. Please that was... I’ve never heard someone say anything like that before. To me or... ever. I appreciate it and agree with your sentiment.” Kurt looks back up and catches his eye and they smile, letting the moment settle around them. 

It takes another customer crashing through the door to break the spell and send them looking elsewhere. Blaine takes a deep sip of his coffee, trying to quickly calm himself and his racing heart down, but Kurt just seems so perfect no matter which way he turns. 

He catches the sight of a pencil and note paper on the edge of the table and remembers what Kurt had been doing when he walked up and interrupted him. 

“So, hey, what are you working on?” He changes the subject to something lighter, easier to digest with coffee and biscotti, as he cranes his neck a bit to get a better look at Kurt’s sketchpad, only able to see a few light lines. 

“Oh–” Kurt looks down at the pad and a flush blooms over his cheeks. “Just, something I like to work on, um...” Kurt bites down on his bottom lip and Blaine’s eyes zero in it, his tongue flicking out to run over his own in the same spot. “I like to design clothes,” Kurt finally finishes, turning his notebook around and pushing it toward Blaine so he can see better. 

“You... design clothes?” Blaine repeats, taken aback slightly. It wasn’t the response he was expecting to hear, but he looks down at the drawings on the page and he looks back at the clothes Kurt’s wearing and he is beginning to see it. 

Kurt stiffens in his chair, his tail bristling and his ears laying flat. “If you’re just going to mock my designs, I'll kindly ask you to leave–” Kurt snaps, reaching for his sketch book. 

Blaine realizes his mistake, eyes widening as he quickly reaches out, fingers wrapping around Kurt’s elegant wrist. “No! No, that wasn’t... no!” He says emphatically, eyes wide and earnest, wanting Kurt to take him seriously. “I wasn’t mocking your designs Kurt,” he repeats, voice quieter now than before. “I was just surprised. I can definitely see you as a designer. I thought your clothes were very...” He flicks his tongue back over his bottom lip as he debates how to continue. “...unique. Tailored. Bespoke.” He blushes as well, his thumb gently stroking the inside of Kurt’s wrist without realizing. 

Kurt’s eyes widen and his entire posture softens, his tail relaxing and curling back down around the legs of the chair. 

“Actually... that silver and black vest you wore the other day to Glee? Is that the one from last month’s vogue?”

Kurt’s eyes brighten and his tail begins to swish excitedly behind him. “Yes! I was able to snag it in a sample sale online. Isn’t it _amazing_?” He smiles wide and his eyes crinkle and Blaine just smiles back. 

“It is, yeah,” he agrees. They lapse into silence, looking at one another.

“So, are you going to give me my hand back now?” Kurt asks quietly. He turns his wrist in Blaine’s hand, his thumb still stroking at the soft skin there. 

“Oh! Right, yes.” Blaine quickly lets go and pulls his hands back into his lap, running his fingers over his cords briefly. He looks back down at the sketch pad and begins to flick through the designs, noting a few that look familiar from outfits he’s seen Kurt wear. 

“You’re good,” he murmurs, turning the page to an black and silver pinstripe design. “Really, _really_ good Kurt.” He looks up at Kurt, watching as the boy flushes and squirms on the chair in front of him. 

“You think so? Honestly?” Kurt’s voice is hesitant as he talks, as if he’s afraid Blaine will laugh in his face. 

“I mean, I’m not a designer or anything but they look amazing — easily things you would see in Vogue.” He closes the design book and slides it back across the table over to Kurt.

Kurt grins, curling his hands around the top edge of the book and pulling it close to his body. “Thank you,” he says, heartfelt. “I haven’t shown anyone my designs before. It’s too personal and it’s not like there is anyone around here who would properly appreciate a well-designed outfit.” He snorts derisively, tucking the sketchbook away in his satchel. 

“You, however, can appreciate the use of good clothes,” Kurt murmurs appreciatively. Blaine can feel his cheeks heating up as Kurt’s eyes look up and down his body. He feels hot and exposed and on display, but in a good way, better than how he felt with Sebastian. He sits up a bit straighter in his chair and wants to push his chest out further, put himself out there for Kurt to admire and find flawless.

“I mean,” Kurt rushes to add in. “You obviously know your way around a closet.” 

Blaine’s eyes widen because no, no that can not be what Kurt just said. 

“No! No!” Kurt’s voice goes higher as he quickly tries to explain. “I mean, you’ve obviously put thought into blending in and being so no one notices you and–” Kurt quickly covers his mouth with both hands, eyes wide in horror. 

Blaine just stares at Kurt before breaking out into a huge grin. “Kurt it’s... it’s okay,” he replies. Leaning over the table, Blaine pulls Kurt’s hands down and offers him another smaller smile. “I do try to blend in. I’m not going to lie, but it’s been a long time since I had to work my way around the inside of a closet.” Blaine winks at Kurt, feeling impulsive and brave as he flirts with this gorgeous catboy sitting in front of him. 

“Ohmygod.” Kurt drops his face into his hands, hiding from Kurt as Blaine breaks into small chuckles. “THAT IS NOT WHAT I MEANT, BLAINE ANDERSON, AND YOU KNOW IT!” Kurt looks up from his hands and glares at him, but Blaine can’t even start to feel bad. It’s a combination of the location and the company, but he feels looser, freer than he normally does. 

Blaine laughs harder and Kurt continues to glare at him until he finally gives in, rolling his eyes and laughing with him. Their eyes catch and this time the silence feels more companionable, feels like they’ve worked past something to get to where they are now. 

“What I was _trying_ to say,” Kurt starts again, “is that you seem like a kindred spirit. You can appreciate the art that goes into good fashion and take it for what it is. Unlike everyone else I seem to be around.” 

“Thank you, Kurt, for showing me your designs, that means a lot to me.” Blaine feels touched that Kurt trusts him enough to show him that part of himself, to open up like that for him already. He fidgets with the paper wrapper from the plastic straw, smoothing it out and then crinkling it back up again. “Are we friends, Kurt?” He’s hopeful as he asks, he wants to be sure because he doesn’t want to misread the situation with him. 

He’s done it before, had a hybrid be nice and talk with him, something he mistook for friendship and companionship, only to find out that it wasn’t something the hybrid wanted known. When Blaine had gone up to him in public, talking and mentioning the latest news on their favorite TV show, he had looked stricken and panicked and then angry when his friends turned on him, making fun of him for befriending the pathetic human. Blaine learned quickly that day the perils of being too friendly with a hybrid and not knowing the right boundaries. 

“What? Of course we’re friends. I mean, I’d _like_ to be your friend... if you want?” Kurt offers, biting his lip and actually looking hopefully at Blaine. 

“Really? I would like that. I would like that a lot.” Blaine sits on his hands to keep himself from bouncing up in his seat and tries to school his expression to not be so blinding, but he’s pretty sure he fails at that one from how wide Kurt’s own smile gets. 

“Well then it’s settled. We’re friends.” Kurt nods as if this decides everything before putting his hand out across the table. Blaine stares at his hand and then back up to Kurt’s face, not sure what he’s supposed to be doing. “Well? Aren’t we going to shake on it?” 

Blaine feels giddy and ridiculous as he reaches out and takes Kurt’s hand in his own, shaking it. “Right, friends,” he agrees.


	4. Chapter 4

Blaine gets home late after coffee, his house, though, is still empty with both of his parents at work. He hums a song from the radio as he takes the steps to his room two at a time. He’s feeling good, today has been a good day -- no, today has been a _great_ day. He sat with Kurt and talked with him, _twice_ ; he’s pretty sure Kurt was flirting with him at lunch too. 

He releases a happy sigh as he flops back onto his bed, bouncing slightly on the mattress. If he closes his eyes and focuses he can smell Kurt’s shampoo, feel the way his shoulder would rub up against his own and that electric thrill that shoots through him every time they touch. His thoughts begin to stray as he remembers how Kurt’s ears flick and swivel towards him every time he would talk. He wants to reach out and touch them, run his fingers through Kurt’s epically coiffed hair and to the tip of his pointed ears; feel how soft the fur on the edges of his ears are (they look so warm). Cooper told him about a spot right behind the ears that felt amazing when rubbed and pressed for many hybrids and he wonders if it’s sensitive for Kurt, if Kurt might like to have Blaine’s fingers rub there and tease him. 

Blaine groans softly and shifts his hips on the bed before reaching down to undo his belt. His fingers open the button to his jeans before working the zipper down slowly. His breathing begins to speed up as his thoughts shift from the spot behind Kurt’s ears to other parts of his body. All he can think about is how Kurt would look with fewer layers, if the fur travels down past his tail and over his hips, or if the hair coming in on his chest looks like the ones on his ears. But no, he can’t do this to Kurt, to his _friend_.

He reaches beneath his bed to tug out his computer and opens it, turning it on before he pulls his shirt off and tosses it next to him on the bed. Having his parents at work and being alone does have its perks; Blaine enjoys not having to take an afternoon shower just to get a bit of privacy like he did at Dalton. He types in a web address, pulling up a video site and then scrolling through the list of featured daily videos. His fingers stop scrolling when he notices a tall, lithe cat-boy in one of the video images. Blaine quickly clicks on it, setting the computer down in front of him to play as he lays back and reaches for his cock. The boy is up on his knees, his hand on his own cock and his tail curling around his hips. His sandy hair a messy riot on top of his head and making it hard to pick his ears out amongst the licks of hair. He’s gorgeous and knows it and everything Blaine loves about cat-boys. 

And he looks just enough like Kurt for it to catch Blaine’s attention.

Blaine groans and tries to push that mental image from his mind. Kurt is his _friend_ and while god, yes, Kurt is so very attractive and so very Blaine’s type, that’s not what he should be thinking about. Shouldn’t be thinking about his friend like that. He quickly pushes out the mental image of _Kurt_ on his knees and tries to focus, instead, on the cat-boy on the screen. 

He strokes himself back to full hardness as the guy on screen begins to undress in front of the camera. He has sandy colored fur that matches the hair on his head and a striped tail that keeps curling up and around his body and twitching every time the guy strokes his hand down his cock. Blaine keeps his eyes on the screen, his hand working at the same speed. The boy in the movie begins to breathe heavier, almost mewling and whimpering as his hips begin to thrust and arch into his hand. Blaine checks the timer left on the movie and then skips ahead a bit, wanting to see what else there is. He stops when he spots a second boy slip into the frame. He’s a broad shouldered dark-haired horse-hybrid with a nice, thick cock. Blaine whimpers and grabs a hold of himself as he watches the first boy beckon the other over and then sink down onto his knees. 

He watches eagerly as the cat-boy’s tail flicks back and forth excitedly as he wraps his lips around the cock and begins to bob his head. The horse-boy seems to be enjoying the blow job as he lets his head fall back and his hand sink into the cat-boy’s hair, rubbing at the spot right behind his ears. 

Blaine groans and his cock jerks as he hears the sound of the cat-boy purring from around the cock in his mouth and, god, Blaine loves that sound, the sound of utter contentment and happiness. He stares at the back of the cat-boy’s head, at his soft, brown hair and wonders what Kurt’s purr would sound like. Would Kurt purr with contentment? Could _Blaine_ make him purr? 

Blaine gasps and tries to push out the images and focus on the movie but that's all he can see: Kurt on his knees in front of him, head bobbing up and down and his tail moving around happily as he sucks down Blaine’s cock. God those vibrations, going right through him. Kurt on his knees and loving the way Blaine tastes and loves being with Blaine and it feels all too much--

Blaine bites down on his bottom lip, teeth digging in and leaving indentations as his hips thrust up hard into his fist; he comes with a strangled moan, come shooting up and splattering along his chest and stomach. 

He flops boneless back onto the bed, gasping for breath as the boys on the computer still moan obscenely into the stillness of the room, but Blaine is too tired to reach and turn it off, so he lets the movie play. It hits him hard as he comes down from his orgasm: he wants to do that with Kurt. He wants to watch Kurt fall apart for him like this and to take care of him and curl up next to him and pet each other slowly and learn their bodies together. He wants to feel every vibration and taste every inch of his skin. He wants to reach out and run his fingers over Kurt’s hand or along the soft curve of his ear; he wants to curl his fingers in Kurt’s tail and feel it wrap around his hand like an embrace. He wants to _know_ Kurt.

But its not going to happen, not how he wants it to. The euphoria from his orgasm is leaving him slowly and replacing the endorphins with reality. He doesn’t even know if Kurt likes him like that, if Kurt even thinks of Humans sexually and would even _want_ a Pet (let alone be able to care for one or even approve of _having_ them). And even if so, it wouldn’t matter because that’s not what _Blaine_ wants. He knows that human-hybrid relationships are rare, especially in this part of the country and that any flirtation that he thought he felt from Kurt is likely just Kurt being himself: a cat who’s just being friendly. What he wants with Kurt is to be able to be his partner, or his _mate_ , but the government doesn’t recognize human-hybrid mating and the most he would get recognised by law is as Kurt’s concubine. Considering how he spoke at the Lima Bean, Blaine wants to think that maybe Kurt is open to interspecies relations — that he wouldn’t find the idea of mating with a human to be repulsive — but he doesn’t want to be wrong. The last thing he wants to do is assume a guy like _Kurt_ could ever be into someone like him for more than just fun and then find out the hard (and so very painful) way how wrong he is. 

Blaine sighs and closes his computer, shutting off the video and cutting off the cat-boy in the middle of his orgasm. He runs a hand through his hair, pulling his curls loose from the stiff hold of the gel. This is why he told himself not to get too attached to a hybrid. There is no way anything could become of it, not anything he _wanted_ anyways. He is just going to have to wait until high school is done and then he can go away to one of the human universities and hopefully meet some fellow human-boy there. Until then he’s going to push away how Kurt’s ears perk up and move towards him when he speaks or the way Kurt’s eyes are unable to stay one color but instead choose to change day-to-day or the way his hips sway when he walks, his tail moving along behind him.

He scrubs the heel of his palm into his eyes as if he could physically gouge the images out of his mind. He needs to forget this and focus on something else. 

His phone goes off in his bag, a convenient distraction. 

Crossing the room, he pulls his phone out and see’s the text from Sebastian. He hasn’t spoken with him since their coffee “date” and while Blaine knows Sebastian is someone to watch out for, he can’t hide the fact that a distraction from Kurt would be useful. 

_Hey, what can I do for you?_ He sends back. It's neutral enough, friendly without being overly so or promising too much. Blaine hopes Sebastian will take the opening for what it is, an invitation for conversation.

His hopes are granted and his mind saved from idle thoughts as his phone rings next to him. Maroon Five plays loudly as his phone screen announces an incoming call from Sebastian Smythe. 

"Hello," Blaine answers, looking down, he notes his nakedness. Even though he's just on the phone, it feels improper to be talking to someone while naked. He tucks the phone in between his cheek and his ear and hurries to re-dress himself.

"Hey, Killer," Sebastian drawls down the line. Blaine's stomach tightens, but not in the same way it does when he talks with Kurt. 

"Uh, hey," he says again. He feels better now with his pants done back up and his shirt on. He smooths the front of his polo before sitting back on his bed. "So, did you need something...?"

"Yeah. Was hoping to talk to you, Warbler to Warbler." Blaine's stomach unconsciously unclenches and he relaxes further back into the bed. 

"Oh absolutely!" Blaine is happy to answer anything about the warblers, it feels like safe territory to talk about. "What can I help you with?"

"Was looking for a bit more like... An opinion."

"Well, I can do that too."

"Great. So the Warblers have this new number we're thinking of showcasing at sectionals this year and I was figuring you could help me with the audition song for it."

"Wow. Um, me? You sure I'd be able to help...?" Blaine flushes and thinks of all the other people who are probably far more qualified to help Sebastian than he is. He might have led the Warblers for a few years but...

Sebastian laughs easily down the phone line and Blaine's flush grows. "Yeah you. Who could help me more than Blaine Anderson: Human Heartthrob who is sex on a stick and sings like a dream?" 

Blaine laughs before he realizes that Sebastian is being serious. He cuts it off, presses his lips together and composes himself. The idea of _Kurt_ liking him is a bit thrilling and exciting; the idea of Sebastian liking him is overwhelming and a bit unsettling. There is something about Sebastian Smythe that Blaine thinks is off, something that makes him feel weird and his belly squirm.

“I don’t know if I would go so far as to say that,” he hedges. 

“You really don’t know the impression you left here huh?” That makes Blaine pause. He knew that the other warblers _liked_ him, certainly, and that the other students at Dalton had no real ill will towards him but he wouldn’t have gone so far as to say he made any sort of lasting impression. 

“I’m sure they were just talking me up--” 

“You really _don’t_ ,” Sebastian says down the line, his voice quiet and different than how Blaine’s heard it. He sounds almost, awed, surprised. 

“Well I mean, I’m just... me.” 

“Yeah well, you were enough to break a few hearts I’m sure.” 

Blaine scoffs because, no. There were no humans at Dalton and there was no way he was going around breaking hearts with hybrids. There wasn’t anyone there at the school who felt that way about him; he was just Blaine, maybe even Blaine the Human. That’s how everyone saw him, not as someone sexual or someone who would be wanted or desired. 

“Hey, don’t laugh. Totally true, broken hearts here man. Even with some of the boys who never got to meet you,” Sebastian adds, and that makes Blaine sit up. He feels a warmth pooling in his belly. He knows what Sebastian is saying and while Sebastian _is_ a bit unsettling at times, its the first compliment Blaine’s received on his _looks_ ; the first time anyone has ever made a comment saying that he was something other than _nice_. 

It feels good. 

“So, um, did you want to meet tomorrow then to go over your audition?” Blaine changes the topic, not quite sure what to say to Sebastian’s compliments. He’s still working on processing them and how he really feels about them. Sebastian allows the subject change. 

“Of course, say Dalton at four, then?” 

“I’ll be there,” Blaine assures him before ringing off. 

*

Blaine grips the strap of his satchel tightly as he walks into Glee after school the next day. It’s been a long and rather trying day-- two “accidental” shoulder shoves and a few muttered words that Blaine can’t _swear_ were anything, but still leave him unsettled. It’s far less than he dealt with at the last public school he was in, but it’s not something he’s had to worry about since he went to Dalton. It’s eye-opening and Blaine can only figure that the other students are becoming more comfortable with a human in their school and some aren’t too happy about it. 

He looks around the room for Tina, but Kurt’s eyes catch his first. The cat-boy stares at him before blinking slowly and looking away, a grin sliding across his face as he beckons Blaine over. Blaine feels himself flushing slightly but can’t stop the responding smile as he hurries over and sits down next to Kurt. 

“Hey, you,” he says softly. He isn’t sure how to act around Kurt yet. He wants to be friends with him (wants to be more than friends with him if he would admit it to himself) but doesn’t want to push at Kurt too much.

Kurt opens his mouth to respond, but pauses, his nose in the air. He takes a delicate sniff, brow furrowing in concentration. Kurt’s body leans in closer to him and Blaine watches as Kurt’s eyes go a bit wider, the pupils dilating.Blaine shifts in his seat; he’s accidentally offended a hybrid's heightened sense of smell before — when he was younger he had a bad habit of using far too much cologne — but he'd showered that morning, so he’s sure it isn’t him.

“Um, Kurt...?” Kurt’s concentration is broken and he blinks at Blaine, pulling back. 

“Er, sorry, I-- sorry, Blaine.” Kurt blushes red but licks his lips and remains sitting closer to him than he had before. Blaine blushes back, smiling before fear grips him. Was it just _him_ Kurt was smelling? Or could he smell more? Blaine’s heard how well Cooper can sniff things out, knowing that Blaine had masturbated hours, even days before-- _god_ , could _Kurt_ smell that? He had no idea how sensitive cat-people’s sense of smell were but if Kurt could smell it... did his eyes widening mean he _liked_ thinking that or that he thought it repulsive? 

Blaine fidgets on his chair again, not able to sit still through solos between the various other glee members as they dedicated love and fidelity to each other, however fleeting the sentiments were. All Blaine can do is focus on Kurt and try to act like he isn’t focusing on Kurt. 

When they dance he stays close to Kurt, still trying to act nonchalant, and he attempts to keep his heart from jumping and beating faster each time Kurt brushes up against him as they go through their moves. Dancing, Kurt turns flushed and a bit sweaty; it is a good look for him, and just like that, Blaine is thrown back into his thoughts from yesterday, thinking of Kurt against him and above him and flushed and sweating and moving from an entirely different kind of exercise. Blaine has to stop to catch his breath, trying to think of anything ( _his mother, Cooper, the Buckeyes_ ) but how Kurt looks right now. 

Kurt moves past Blaine, his entire body brushing Blaine’s as he walks past him, hips slink back and forth sinuously, as he goes to grab his water bottle; he bends over, pants stretching tight over his ass and Blaine curses to himself and forces his eyes closed. If he didn’t know better, he’d think that Kurt was teasing him on _purpose_. But he can’t; there is no way that Kurt’s doing it on purpose because that would mean that Kurt would be flirting with him and--

He catches Kurt’s smirk around his water bottle as he takes a deep drink and moves back over to Blaine, his tail flicking and moving back and forth and back with each shake of his hips. Blaine’s eyes flicker down to watch them before he forces his eyes back to Kurt’s face, seeing his grin spread. 

Blaine’s eyes widen, realizing he was caught, but Kurt just smiles softer, although nervously, as he pushes past Blaine, body rubbing against him again, as if he’s trying to keep away the other students. Blaine closes his eyes, enjoying the brief press and push of his body and the even shorter faint whiff of how he smells; there is no way that Blaine is going to be able to focus on dance steps the rest of the afternoon.

*

It’s later than Blaine had anticipated it would be getting out of glee practice and he has to speed to get to Dalton on time to meet Sebastian. He smooths his jacket down as he makes his way through the hallowed halls, hurrying back to the choir room. He can hear the fading hums of the Warblers fading away before a huge swell of laughter and clapping. 

He waits outside the door for the other boys to leave, smiling and even waving at a few of them as they go by. The door is left open and he slips inside, finding Sebastian already leaning against the piano. 

“Hey,” he says softly, smiling as he sets his satchel down. 

“Hello again, killer,” Sebastian responds with a bright smirk and a wink. “Thanks for dropping by.” 

Blaine pauses, startled by Sebastian’s overt display of flirtation; it’s still not something Blaine is used to hearing directed at him and he begins to think he doesn’t really _like_ it either. It makes him feel awkward and on display, like Sebastian is looking his body over and debating his best physical attributes; it makes him feel like a possession. 

But still, Sebastian is nice, and as a human, Blaine can’t always pick the attention that he gets or the friends he makes. He would much prefer someone being too nice and flirtatious than some of the things he hears from the imbeciles who wander McKinley’s hallways. 

“So, are you ready to practice for your audition?” Blaine settles himself down on one of the arms of a nearby sofa, his hands resting calmly in his lap. 

“More or less. I figured you could help me fine tune what I need... give me a few pointers.” Sebastian leans back against the piano, standing across from Blaine. His tail curls up around his body and up over his shoulder; his ears are alert, pointed directly in Blaine’s direction. 

“Alright, that sounds good.” Blaine nods, agreeing with him and sits waiting for Sebastian to begin, hands resting primly in his lap. 

Sebastian smirks at Blaine and moves over to where there is an iPod already waiting in a dock. He scrolls a bit before hitting play, the room instantly filling with the sound of music through the Warblers sound system. As he sings, Sebastian's tail flicks back and forth to the slow back beat of the song.

“Never know how much I love you, never know how much I care; when you put your arms around me, I get a fever that's so hard to bear. You give me fever.” Sebastian moves forward slowly, hips slinking as he keeps Blaine in his eyeline while he moves.

Blaine shifts on the piano bench uncomfortably, looking away from Sebastian as he moves closer. He feels uncomfortable with this sort of attention on him, but Sebastian seems to think he’s playing coy and dances over, leaning into him and practically sliding into his lap as he continues to sing.

It unsettles Blaine and he stands quickly, hands moving, sending Sebastian moving back away from him. He hurries away, moving over to the windows and giving them both some room. Sebastian’s eyebrow raises and a smirk curls on his lips as his tail flicks faster, more excitedly and he begins to _prowl_ after Blaine. The song is still playing, the tempo increasing as Blaine backs away, moving back as Sebastian keeps moving towards him. 

He suddenly bumps into the wall and he turns to see he’s trapped himself in the corner, Sebastian eagerly closing in on him, and Blaine has never felt so much like _prey_ as he does now. 

Sebastian steps up right next to him, his fingers trailing up Blaine’s arm as he sings to him. “Sun lights up the daytime, moon lights up the night. I light up when you call my name, and you know I'm gonna treat you right. You give me _fever_.” He leans in closer to Blaine, his voice going lower and Blaine’s eyes growing wider. He noses up Blaine’s neck and Blaine starts shaking slightly, completely out of his element and having no idea what to do with a _fox_ hybrid this close. He’s heard stories of some hybrids letting their instincts take over too much and they give in and Blaine knows, he _knows_ that no one would feel he’s innocent if that happened here. No one would think he hadn’t wanted Sebastian or encouraged him, and, god, this isn’t what he wants, not like _this_ \--

Sebastian pauses in his song, his body going rigid against Blaine’s, and he takes a deep inhale. Blaine presses his lips together and just _waits_. 

Sebastian moves in closer, his body almost pressed against Blaine’s. “Are you... _with_ someone...?” Sebastian asks softly. 

“Um, what...?” It really wasn’t the question Blaine was expecting. 

“Are you involved? With another hybrid?” His voice is softer, less smooth and it’s a bit  
surprising for Blaine to hear this. 

“No, I’m... No,” he finally answers, having to lick his lips a few times to actually get the words out. 

“Hm,” Sebastian rumbles. He takes another deep inhale before Blaine feels his nose ever so gently rub up and down across his neck. 

“What--” Sebastian immediately pulls back, all huge smirking smiles as he stuffs his hands into his pockets and gives Blaine room. 

“So what did you think?” 

“Of... of what?” Blaine asks, confused and his mind reeling. 

“Of the song.” 

“Oh. Um.” Blaine can’t even remember what he thinks of the song. He’s still stuck on the fact that Sebastian is right there and he’s been _sniffing_ him. 

“Blaine...?” 

“Right, sorry. No it was, it was good. Maybe a bit ... much?” 

“You think it was too much?” 

Blaine shrugs slightly and slides out past Sebastian and moves over to the couch. It feels easier to breathe away from him and he actually lets himself slump a bit as he leans back against the couch. “I think you need to be less in your face with your approach here,” Blaine finally says as he relaxes. 

“Oh? So how would you suggest I do it?” 

“Just, you’re telling someone how much they affect you, and that’s something that should be done more sensually, less overtly.” 

“Mm, I see,” Sebastian says. He nods slowly as he meanders his way over to Blaine, hands still in his pockets. “Well, I certainly can understand and appreciate the sensual approach.” 

“With a song like that you have to use it as a chance to woo someone, because that song, it’s not about the immediate, not the one-night stand or the quick... intimacy with someone. It’s about showing how much you care, as it says.” 

Sebastian nods slowly as if taking mental notes. His smile at Blaine slips warmer, a bit more genuine and Blaine feels a bit less cautious than he did earlier. He can do this, he can hang out with Sebastian and give him pointers on how to sing and be okay. 

“Try it again, but this time do it better,” he says mock sternly. He holds the look for a moment before breaking into a bashful smile. Sebastian just laughs, giving him a genuine grin before turning to hit repeat on the iPod, his tail curling around Blaine’s face as he goes. 

“Of course, Killer, from the top.” 

The nickname makes Blaine roll his eyes. He’s used to Sebastian’s advances by now, and while being backed up in the corner by a fox-boy on the prowl is a bit much, this he can handle. He settles himself back against the couch again and waits for Sebastian to start once more. 

*

The next day, Blaine takes his seat in Biology class, trying not to let his excitement for spending an hour right next to the cat-boy, practically brushing up against him, show outwardly. A soft, leather bag hits the table and Kurt gracefully slides into the seat next to him, smiling over towards him. Blaine can’t help the ridiculously huge grin he shoots back. 

The teacher, Mr. Humphrey, whirls into the room, the classroom door banging open as he begins lecturing before even putting his bags down. He’s running at the mouth about cell death, his tail wagging back and forth faster than his mouth and Blaine scrambles to grab a pen to get everything written down. 

He’s in the middle of a sentence on radioactive decay when he hears a quiet, delicate sniff. He looks to the side, practically brushing noses with Kurt as he does so. Kurt reels back slightly and gives Blaine an apologetic smile. Blaine cocks his head, and smiles back, trying to non-verbally let him know its okay. 

Blaine hears the metallic squeak of a chair moving and suddenly Kurt’s arm is brushing his, their shoulders practically pressing together. He moves over slightly but a few minutes later and they are pressed together again. Blaine leaves it; he isn’t about to second-guess being pressed close to the object of his current fantasies (even if it is just clothed shoulder pressing). 

He goes back to notes as best he can, trying to make sure his body doesn’t respond to Kurt too much when he feels a soft brush against the back of his calves. He sneaks a look back and Kurt’s tail is whipping back and forth under their chairs, curling around his leg and then whipping back around again angrily. Blaine swallows and looks over at Kurt whose face is close to his once more. Kurt sniffs again and Blaine watches as Kurt’s pupils go wide and Blaine can hear a deep, low rumbling and, god, he has no idea what is going on and they are in the middle of _class_ right now.

His breathing stills when Kurt reaches in, his fingers coming to the bowtie around his neck. “It’s all crooked,” Kurt says quietly, and Blaine has stopped all breathing as Kurt’s fingers brush his neck as he straightens it. He takes his time, turning it and then pressing his palm on the bowtie to make sure it lies flat against Blaine’s throat. 

“Um, thank you,” Blaine finally says, his voice coming out all in a rush as he releases the breath he was holding. 

“No problem.” Kurt is staring at him, staring at his neck with those wide-pupil eyes and Blaine can still feel the soft brush of his tail against the back of his calves. He turns back to his paper, not able to hold Kurt’s gaze any longer. He doesn’t know what’s going on, doesn’t know if Kurt can-- He pauses again as he feels Kurt leaning in once more. 

“Um, Kurt...” he starts, because this is beginning to affect him bodily. 

“Sorry, just...” Kurt trails off and Blaine doesn’t get to find out what Kurt is ‘sorry, just’ about as Kurt turns his head slightly and Blaine feels the silky, soft slide of Kurt’s furred ear against the side of his cheek. He gasps and whimpers ever so softly, a quiet noise but he _knows_ Kurt can hear it at this distance, he _knows_ Kurt has excellent hearing. 

But Kurt doesn’t say anything. Blaine feels the slide of Kurt’s ear against his cheek once more, a soft back and forth. He is so close, Blaine can smell the subtle fragrance of his shampoo. The low rumbling from before is gone, replaced by something a bit quieter, softer, and it takes Blaine a second to realize that Kurt is _purring_. He gasps quietly, and Kurt brushes his ear past Blaine one last time before pulling back and smiling quite satisfied to himself. 

Blaine has no idea what is going on, what even just happened, but Kurt’s tail is curled around the back of his leg and he is purring softly as he begins to get ready for the lab they’re about to do and science is the last thing Blaine can focus on.


	5. Chapter 5

The rest of the week passes without any incident for Blaine; he keeps his head down and he stays out of trouble, keeping out of the way of any of the more aggressive hybrids (especially those on the football and hockey teams). He still gets shoved around and teased; on Wednesday his chair in History is taken, but it isn’t anything he can’t deal with, nothing that he can’t lift his head up higher and ignore it all (and he has to ignore it all because the one who took his chair is a badger-boy and he isn’t about to start something with a badger-hybrid). 

By Friday afternoon he’s tired, exhausted from the week and looking forward to being able to go home and stay inside, where he doesn’t have to worry about running into any confrontations with anyone. He drops his bag next to the seat he’s usually in and slides down into it. Closing his eyes, he takes a moment to relax and breathe and not think as he hears the noises of the other students mingling and trickling in. There is another thump and then Blaine feels the soft brush of fur against the back of his neck, making him shiver. He knows who it is before he even opens his eyes, knowing there is really only one person at this school that would feel so comfortable to touch him. 

“Hey Kurt,” he says with a smile as he opens his eyes. Kurt is sitting right there next to him, looking elegant as always in his tight black pants and red sweater. Blaine has to make a conscious effort not to look down at where he knows the tight leather boots are hugging Kurt’s calves. Instead, he turns slightly and focuses his attention on Kurt’s face, not letting his gaze roam. 

“Blaine, I was hoping to speak with you before Mr. Schue got here,” Kurt starts, his hands folded and resting in his lap. 

“Oh? What’s up?” 

“Oh, it isn’t serious or anything like that,” Kurt rushes to assure him, his hand moving to rest on Blaine’s wrist. “Some of the girls and I were thinking about going to the mall this weekend and maybe catching a movie, I thought you might like to go with us?” 

Blaine stares at Kurt for a moment, brain still stuck on that Kurt asked him out (As friends! To go to the mall with others! Friends!) and wants to hang out with him. “Really?” Blaine asks, voice quiet and hopeful and something warm beginning to spread through his chest as he thinks about it. 

“Yes, of course.” Kurt looks at him steadily before blinking and smiling at him. “I need someone there that can keep up with me sartorially.” He’s smile is now a smirk and his tail is flicking back and forth and Blaine breaks out into his own responding grin. 

“Sure, I’d love to,” he answers. 

“Great, so just text me your address and I’ll be by around eleven? Saturday morning?” Kurt checks. 

“Great! Great, no, that’s.... great,” Blaine answers, repeating himself and flushing when he realizes how dumb he must sound to Kurt. His cheeks redden and he looks away but Kurt says nothing, smile still on his face. 

“Great,” Kurt says, voice quiet as he grins over at Blaine, gently nudging his foot with his own. Kurt’s leather-clad Dr. Marten is heavier duty than his own soft-sided boat shoe but Blaine just knocks his own foot back against Kurt’s and grins back as the rest of the choir begins to filter in around them. 

*

Blaine rushes home from school, jubilant on the feeling of friends, friends I have friends, mixed with the heady realization that it is with Kurt. The boy he has been thinking about since he saw him in the choir room at the beginning of school. With any luck, this weekend trip to the mall will let he and Kurt grow closer, let Blaine learn more about him, and also allow him to gain a circle of friends here at McKinley (something he had certainly been missing). 

“Mother?” Blaine calls as he steps into the house, shutting the door quickly behind him and running into the office. “Mother, are you home?” He calls again, checking the kitchen but not finding her there either. He does find a note attached to the refrigerator, written in his mother’s elegant handwriting, letting him know she had a meeting at the museum for the charity auction and would be late in getting home. There was a twenty dollar bill behind the note and a postscript informing him he was to order a pizza and not to wait up dinner for her or his Father. 

Blaine sighs and pockets the money before tossing out the note. His excitement has been dimmed slightly at not being able to talk to his mother about it, but there is a better option. He digs into his pocket and tugs out his phone, speed-dialing to Wes, bouncing on the balls of his feet until he picks up. 

“Hey, stranger!” Wes greets and Blaine enjoys how excited and happy Wes always sounds when talking to him. It’s part of the collie in him, Blaine knows, but it never fails to make Blaine feel appreciated. 

“Hey yourself, keeping everyone busy and in line?” He asks, flopping back onto the sofa and kicking off his shoes to get comfortable. 

“Of course.” Wes sounds almost affronted that Blaine would ever imagine otherwise. “If we’re to beat you at Regionals we’re going to need to be perfectly in sync and that can only come with hours of drilling.” 

“Hours and hours,” Blaine drawls, agreeing. 

“... Senior ex-Warbler Blaine Anderson, don’t make me get my gavel out on you.” 

Blaine laughs easily, enjoying the idea of Wes breaking it out for a phone conversation (certainly not something Blaine would ever doubt him actually doing). 

“Now, what can I do for you?” Wes asks. “How are things going in Lima?”

“Things are.... going...” 

“... Oh?” Wes’ voice gently prods him on. “Care to explain that one? That sounded loaded. That bad?”

“No, no, not bad!” Blaine rushes to assure him. “I mean, not really. There are some people who are jerks but, I mean, life is going to be full of those kind of guys right? And it isn’t really bad. They’re jerks to everyone so.” 

“If someone is being forceful with you, Blaine, you need to let a teacher know,” Wes says immediately, and Blaine can hear the frown and the furrow of his brow through the phone. 

“It’s not bad, really Wes! I promise. If it was... I would say something,” he assures him. Blaine doesn’t want to admit that he isn’t quite sure who he would complain to. Not many of the teachers have really gone out of their way to make him feel safe or comfortable at school. Only his science teacher has made him feel at ease, most still just stare at him, as if still slightly puzzled by his presence. 

“Alright, just, you say something if anything gets out of hand--”

“I will, Wes,” Blaine promises. “But I was calling because today, I actually think I may have found a group of friends at McKinley.” 

 

*

Saturday morning Blaine is up early and in his closet, sliding the hangers back and forth on the metal bar as he tries to come up with the right thing to wear. He doesn’t want to go too dressy and make Kurt think that Blaine see’s this as a date when it’s not; but then Kurt is always so impeccably dressed, Blaine doesn’t want to look dowdy by comparison. Kurt did joke that he needed someone to keep up with him sartorially. 

Deciding to err on the side of too dressy, Blaine finds a nice button-up in a lovely plum color and quickly begins the rifling through his bowtie drawer (organized by colour and then pattern), plucking out a nice striped one that will go with the shirt. 

He dresses quickly, making sure his bowtie is straight and his hair is properly slicked down and not an unruly mess and is just bending over to slip his shoes on when he hears a knock on the door from downstairs. It is exactly 11 AM and Kurt is right on time. 

“I got it!” He calls out, grabbing his wallet from his dresser as he heads down the stairs, moving quickly. He throws the front door open, smiling widely at Kurt. “Hey, right on time.” 

“Punctuality is incredibly important,” Kurt nods sagely. “Are you ready?” Blaine nods and steps out the front door, following behind Kurt to his Navigator. Blaine takes a moment to look at Kurt, knowing Kurt can’t see him. He was right, Kurt is dressed flawlessly in black pants that seem to be a second skin and a waistcoat that shows off the trimness of his figure. His hips sway as he walks, his tail swishing back and forth and catching Blaine’s eye. He forces himself to look away from the sway of his hips and his tail (which means his ass) and at his shoulders instead. 

“So, we meeting the girls there?” Blaine checks, sliding into the passenger seat. 

“Mmhm,” Kurt agrees. His ears go flat when he starts the car back up and the radio jumps to life with a screech. Kurt hisses as he quickly hits the volume control, turning it down. Kurt gives the radio a final glare, making sure its at its reasonable volume setting before turning back to Blaine. 

“Yup, I figured we could meet them outside the movies, grab some popcorn…” Kurt gives a delicate shrug. Blaine finds it unbearably endearing and turns away to look out the window for fear he is going to say something he shouldn’t. 

*

The mall is unusually empty and the movies even more so. Blaine and Kurt secure their tickets and slip inside to wait by the concession stand. Kurt admits that he’s really more of a sno-drops sort of guy and Blaine tsks and admits that nothing can replace popcorn as the go-to movie treat. 

He’s having fun, enjoying his alone time out with Kurt so much that he can almost ignore the looks he keeps being sent by people walking by. Almost. 

“Mommy, why does he look so funny?” A little girl tugs on her mother’s hand as they go by, the girl is all round eyes and stares at Blaine. 

“Shh, he’s just a human,” the mother snaps back, sending Blaine an uneasy glare as she tugs her child closer. The girl makes an interested noise but she’s already been hauled off. 

Blaine shifts where he stands, feeling embarrassed and uncomfortable and in front of Kurt. It was the last thing he wanted to have happen in front of Kurt. Sure, he knows Kurt knows he’s human, but there is knowing and there is knowing to Blaine. Being subjected to the uneasy looks of other hybrids just reminds Blaine who, and what, he is. 

“Sorry,” Blaine says quietly, stepping back and behind a cardboard display as if that will shield him from some of the looks and whispers. 

“For what?” Kurt asks, bewildered. “For the ignorance of others?” Kurt turns to where the woman walked off, his ears flattening. “It’s not your fault people are such ignorant beasts.” He glares at another raccoon-man who has been staring Blaine up and down like he’s looking him over and liking what he sees. Kurt moves closer to Blaine, his tail coming up and around, curling around the side of Blaine’s neck in a fairly blatant display of possession. Blaine can feel the soft brush of Kurt’s fur and it sets his own heartbeat racing. 

The raccoon-man sends his own glare right back at Kurt but turns away, back to the counter. 

Blaine’s cheeks flush, he’s pretty sure what that man was looking at him for and equally sure what Kurt just did. He turns his head slightly, able to see Kurt’s profile lit by the harsh movie theatre lighting. He doesn’t want to say anything to make Kurt feel awkward, he appreciates what he did, but he also is curious what he means by it. Also, rather selfishly, he doesn’t want Kurt’s tail to pull away. It’s warm and soft and smells like Kurt and he likes it up, wrapped around his neck. 

He licks his lips and when he looks back Kurt is looking right at him, his lips slowly curling into a smile. Blaine opens his mouth to say something but Rachel pops up, Tina and Mercedes coming along behind her. She wraps an arm around Kurt’s arm tugging him away, a few feathers falling to the ground, as she begins squawking on about the latest relationship mishap in the New Directions. 

Blaine lets Kurt’s tail slide away from his neck with a sad sigh, appeasing himself with the look of concern Kurt sends him from over Rachel’s shoulder. He falls in line with Tina but makes sure to sneak in between them as they walk into the movie theatre. 

Settling in, Blaine looks over to Kurt, catching his gaze out of the corner of his eye, both of them breaking into matching grins. Kurt’s cheeks go a pretty shade of pink and that definitely catches Blaine’s attention. He scoots in his chair as close as he can to the armrest and holds up the popcorn carton. “Popcorn?” He offers shyly. 

“Thank you.” Kurt reaches his hand in and plucks out a few kernels of popcorn delicately, their eyes staying on each other and not looking away during the previews. Kurt takes his time eating the popcorn one kernel at a time before deftly licking his fingers clean. Blaine can not tear his eyes away from the soft little licks of Kurt’s tongue. 

*

Rachel and Tina wander out of the movie, talking over each other on whether the Prince was really who the girl should have ended up with (Tina is in favor of the penniless musician, Rachel is in favor of the Prince). 

“But Jack actually loved her,” Tina argues. “He didn’t care who she was or what she was! He just wanted her to be happy!” 

“Right, he wanted her to be happy and live a prosperous life, which she would with Prince Andrew,” Rachel counters. 

“The Prince didn’t see her though. She wasn’t special to him, not like she was to Jack.” 

Rachel sniffs indignantly, her feathers puffing up around her as she crosses her arms over her chest. “Sometimes there are more important things in life. Andrew could give her opportunities to become more and do more!” 

Tina rolls her eyes and finishes off her milk duds before tossing the box away as Rachel continues on about Prince Andrew. 

Blaine and Kurt follow along behind, staying close together as they walk, Kurt’s tail curled around Blaine’s closest leg. 

“I really liked Jack,” Blaine says quietly to Kurt. He feels warm and cared for, tucked in close to Kurt like this. 

“Me too. You could see the chemistry between Jack and Alice, how they just worked together.” 

“Mmhm,” Blaine agrees, nodding. “Besides,” he starts, looking over at Kurt. “I sort of have a thing for cat boys.” He blushes hard and hopes that his tan complexion is able to hide most of it. 

Kurt’s ears swivel quickly over to Blaine and he stands up straighter before he breaks into a wide grin. “Oh really?” 

“Yeah.” Blaine just nods as Kurt reaches out and snags Blaine’s hand, tangling their fingers together in between their bodies. Blaine’s heart is racing, beating so hard in his chest he’s sure Kurt will be able to hear it with his heightened senses. 

“He did have a really nice ass didn’t he?” Kurt finally responds, acting like its no big deal he’s holding Blaine’s hand, tail curled around him as they leave the mall. 

“The best,” Blaine agrees, laughing openly. He’s not sure if they’re even really talking about Jack anymore and he doesn’t even care. Kurt is holding his hand and holding him close and wrapped around him and Blaine never wants this moment to end. 

Up ahead, Rachel starts screeching for Kurt, needing him to agree with her in her argument with Tina. Kurt squeezes Blaine’s hand before releasing it, his tail still curled around Blaine’s leg as he leans over closer to Blaine. “Pretty sure he likes it being looked at,” Kurt whispers into Blaine’s ear before pulling back and standing up. There’s a pretty flush across his face as his tail slowly unwinds itself from around Blaine’s leg and he saunters over to Rachel. 

Blaine’s eyes are wide as he watches Kurt go. His gaze naturally drops to the slink and sway in Kurt’s hips, how his tail swings back and forth with each step forward and oh god Kurt just said he liked when Blaine watched his ass didn’t he? Blaine licks his lips, blinking fast before breaking into a beaming grin. He fights hard to bite down on his tongue to keep the ridiculous shout of joy he wants to make from actually escaping. He doesn’t know what this thing is that’s happening between them but he hopes it continues. He’s never felt like this about anyone before, no other hybrid has ever made him feel so relaxed and so at ease with being himself like Kurt does. His grin softens to a small smile as he just gazes over at Kurt, the tip of his tail thrashing and his body obviously poised for attack as Rachel begins another tirade. Kurt looks away from Rachel and over at Blaine, his gaze softening and the edges of his lips twitching to break into a grin. Yeah, Blaine hopes this continues. He winks over at Kurt before he loses his nerve and he breaks into a jog to catch the others up.


End file.
